Sean and I celebrated our month-a-versary on Monday, which is really just a twee way of saying we've now been married a month. I know! Can you believe it's gone so fast? Although, come to think of it, when you've known someone for over thirteen years, being married to them for a month is kind of small potatoes, actually. I'm pretty sure if he were going to reveal something shocking---He's really a woman! He's my second cousin once removed! Turns out he enjoys the music of Celine Dion!---it probably would have happened by now. Instead, we've just been chugging along as usual, in pretty much the same fashion we did before we were married, except now we have fewer conversations about whether or not to round the corners of things with my fancy corner-rounder.*

*(I rounded the corners of everything for our wedding: invitations, programs, menus, even the little stickers on our bags of salted caramels, which is a case of superfluous corner-rounding if ever there were one. I couldn't get enough of the corner-rounding, though! I love corner-rounding! It's bizarrely addictive! Anyone have anything they want corner-rounded anytime soon? Cards? Photos? Hell, let's corner-round your passport! Your insurance forms for the doctor! Your kid's permission slip for the trip to the zoo!)

Anyway, one of the greatest things about dating someone for such a long time before you marry---and knowing them for even longer---isn't the mutual foundation of trust you build up together or the significant life experiences you get to share, it's the goddawful stash of photographs you accumulate of both of you rocking some seriously misguided hairstyles over the years. (Note to self: YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE BLONDE.)

One of the things I always knew I wanted at my wedding---seriously, I can remember thinking this when I was about sixteen---was a video slideshow of old photos, preferably one that would make people laugh and cry in equal measures. Since Sean and I have such a long and ridiculous history together---by which I mean we saw each other through the better half of the 1990s, AKA The Decade That Fashion Didn't Just Forget But Then Also Gave The Finger To For Good Measure---it seemed like it would be an especially poignant chronicle of our time together.

My brother Luke, upon hearing this, slaved for ages over a hot scanner to make us our very own wedding video, which he introduced midway through the speeches and played on an old 1960s movie screen my dad once bought at a garage sale. Internet, there was not a dry eye in the house.

Have to say, though, the majority of those tears were the laughter kind. Honestly, I wasn't kidding, I should never have tried to go blonde.

This reminds me of just how long I've been reading, and makes me smile to see so many of your moments that you've shared with us are the moments that you have in this slide show. Thanks for sharing the real you (both of you) - this was beautiful.

(And really, your hair choices weren't SO bad. It was the 90s, for heaven's sake! It could have been so much worse!)

8

glschneider Oct 07, 2009

My husband and I have a similar archive of photos together (we have been dating/friends/married for 15 years this december) but in our case he is the one saying "self you really should never have tried to go blonde". And I am the one saying "damn back away from the chocolate 20 year old self".

You guys are so, so, lucky to have each other. The person who coined the phrase 'They were meant for each other' must have just watched this video. I just love your couplehood!

And your brother is both sweet and talented to put together such a great video. My brother, on the other hand, thought it would be funny to wish me a 40th birthday yesterday. Which was my 39th birthday. So, Luke? Much nicer brother.

So beautiful! I love wedding slideshows, even if I don't know the people. Your brother did a lovely job.

I do hope you celebrate your month-a-versaries every month for a year. We did that and it was so special. (Being semi-foodies, we got a lot of restaurant gift certificates as wedding presents, and doled them out, one per month, in celebration!)

14

Sarah Oct 07, 2009

oh! I love a good slide show.

and it's okay. we've all been through the Abercrombie & Fitch phase. (Sadly, I was about 28 back then, and gratefully accepting "hand me ups" from my younger sister.)

I was reading a scrapbook blog recently (I know, I know) and someone dissed a layout they made in 2003 because they had been going through a corner rounding phase. And I was like, um, is that really a problem? Is there a point in time when we're supposed to stop rounding corners?

Beautifiul video, photos, moments.... I have been following your NBB site for about 1.5 months now at the advice of a friend who told me to give it a try. I am hooked. You guys are beautiful, inside and out...and I don't even know you! I just got married myself in January...best wishes & I will be following:)

aw that almost made me cry and i've never even met you in person! 1) you look cute in glasses 2) love the song as well 3) could you two be any cuter/smilier/happy? 4)will you adopt me?

30

Melissa Shea Oct 07, 2009

Fantastic.

31

Heather Oct 07, 2009

Lovely video!

And if you enjoy corner rounding, you should try crimping sometime. SERIOUSLY addicting. I think I'm finally out of my crimping phase, but for a while there, every piece of paper with which I came into contact simply HAD to be crimped!

I've been reading your blog for somewhere around three years now, and somehow I haven't noticed until now that Sean looks EERILY like Danny Kaye. I can't stop staring and thinking "HOW DID I NOT NOTICE THIS BEFORE?!"

It's a real mole! It was very Cindy Crawford, but also not really very Cindy Crawford at all, so I had it removed when I was about 23.

41

Amanda Oct 07, 2009

Long time reader :)

Ok so this is sappy but I fell in love with the story of you and Sean and I am sad to see the wedding stuff come to an end!
I cried when you got engaged and I have LOVED the pics of the wedding. I almost feel like a stalker creeping in on your life (heh sorry about that) but I absolutely LOVED that video and it was made 10 times more sentimental that it was made by your brother. I would say you are a very lucky lady :)

I don't know if I told you this, but I started crying as soon as I heard the music for the first time, when Simon was helping Luke and your dad figure out how to hook up the projector. Wedding slideshows pretty much KILL me dead, and this is one of the very best.

Aww, First Day of My Life - my cousin played an acoustic version of this for the processional at my wedding 2 weeks ago!

I reaallly wanted to have a slideshow, but unfortunately my husband's family took no photos, so it would have been unfairly lopsided on the growing up part. Turns out, my dad slaved for 6 hours making one anyway, including all he had from the last 5.5 years and our couples shower and stuff plus some from my childhood. And then his car was broken into during a dinner stop on the way to my house before the wedding and his laptop got stolen. Sad.